Montana Fun
by thousand-miles
Summary: Alex and Bobby are send to Montana for a conference. Things happens, secrets revealed and Bobby and Alex grow closer.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Montana Fun

**Author:** thousandmiles

**Rating:** T

**Spoilers**: None

**Summary: **Alex and Bobby are send to Montana for a conference. Things happens, secrets revealed and Bobby and Alex grow closer.

**A/N**: The well known conference fic. I couldn't help myself. Getting Bobby and Alex away from NY, is a nice thought. This isn't going to be angst or something like that. Nope, just some fun and romance. And also don't hold me to accuracy considering Montana and the things they are going to do. Can't promise anything about updates. I'll try to update fairly regularly. Reviews are welcome. And if you have suggestions about exercises for the conference or ideas, feel free to tell me about them

**Part one **

"You want us to do what?" Alex exclaimed as she and her partner stood in front of their captain's desk.

"I want you to go to Montana for a conference." Captain Jimmy Deakins answered. He knew they would be reluctant about this. Both his detectives loved their work and what they did not like was listening to people talk about all kind of things. However he had not told them everything yet. He'd saved the best for last, well not entirely the best.

"What kind of conference?" Alex asked as she sat down on one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"Actually it's something new. It's about partnerships and teambuilding."

"And why should we go? There's nothing wrong with our partnership. We don't need any training!" Alex still didn't know why they needed to go.

Holding up his hand, Deakins continued. "I know. Apparently it's important and the big shots want to send the best we have."

"So we're show-dogs?" Alex pointed out.

Jimmy smiled, he could count on Alex to point out the obvious.

Alex who'd done all of the talking so far was annoyed her partner hadn't uttered a word. Neither of them liked these kind of things. "And you..." She said, pointing to her partner. " why haven't you said anything? Don't tell me you wanna go."

"I… I don't know, it's always good to learn something new. It could be… interesting."

"Interesting, learn something new? What are you talking about?" Sighing she looked back at Deakins. "Look cap, we got plenty of paperwork left. Can't you find someone else?" Never had she thought she would prefer doing paperwork over anything else. It had come to this.

"No can do, Alex. You two leave tomorrow. Here's the information. See you two when you get back." As the two detectives reached the door, they were called back by their captain. "And detectives, plays nice with the other kiddies. You're representing the NYPD." Giving affirmative nods they left for the desks.

"You…" Alex starts back at her desk. "..were not very helpful back there. Do you wanna go?" Bobby's lack of resistance had come as a big surprise to her.

Bobby shrugged. "I'm sure it won't be that bad. It… it could be fun." He mumbled, sifting through the papers.

"Fun? Who are you and what have you done with the real Robert Goren." Alex eyes met her partner suspiciously.

Giving her his small smile, he softly said. "There's not much we can do about it now. Let's make the best of it."

She couldn't really disagree with that, but not wanting to give in, she went back to the papers. After reading them thoroughly she looked at her watch. Only an hour to go. "You know what? Since this conference is mandatory and I don't even wanna go, I'm going to head home and enjoy my evening, starting with a nice warm bath." That said she grabbed her stuff and left.

Bobby's mind hadn't fully acknowledged that Alex had actually left. It was still processing the words _nice_, _warm_ and _bath_. That brought an image to mind he shouldn't have about his partner. Those less than professional thoughts about her had been occurring more often lately. Spending the next few days together would not improve that. Guiltily spending more time with her had been a reason why he hadn't really objected. On the job there wasn't much time to get to know each other or simply spend time together. However, in Montana, they could. Maybe it could be a beginning of a change in their dynamics.

They arrived at their hotel around noon the following day. It was beautifully situated in a rural landscape that was now covered with snow. In a way that made the surroundings all the more romantic. Alex wasn't sure that was a good or bad thing.

At the reception desk they were handed their keys and even more papers. They were surprised to find they had adjoining room. Another pleasant surprise was the size and luxury of the room. There was a small living area, a king sized bed- that made Bobby's mind wander yet again-, and a large bathroom with a big shower and bath. Looking around her room, Alex decided this conference might not be a bad thing. Putting away her stuff she heard a knock on the door that joined hers and Bobby's room. "Come in." She called to him as she unpacked her bag. "Nice room, huh?" She said without turning around to acknowledge him. "This conference is probably going to be such a waist of time, but at least they gave us good rooms. And I am going to make good use of that bath. It's big enough to fit two people and then some easily."

For Bobby that wasn't the best thing she could have said. Having company in the bath… would she mind if he surprised her? Shaking his head he looked around her room. It was identical to his.

"It says on the papers we have to be in the main lobby at two. That leaves us some times to have lunch and look around. You interested?"

"Very." Putting her bag in the closet, she grabbed her coat. "Let's go, shall we?"

They had found a nice little restaurant a short walk from their hotel. Sitting at a corner booth at the window they finally had some time for themselves. "Ever been to Montana before?" Alex asked as they waited for their lunch.

"No, not really. You?"

She got a dreamy smile on her face. "Yeah. We went there when we were young. My parents took us on a vacation to Yellowstone Park. They'd rented a cabin and it was winter time. It was wonderful. We made a snowman, had snow fights, went hiking and simply enjoyed being away from home. We didn't get to go on vacation often so when we did it was always special." Seeing his eyes turn sad, she sighed. The differences between their families was obvious. That was one of the reasons she hardly talked about her family, knowing it hurt him, but this time he had asked. She briefly placed her hand on his and squeezed it. There was no need for words, for they could never say enough.

Their little moment was interrupted by the waitress bringing them their lunch. They talked about their expectations and thoughts about the conference. Before long they had to go back to the hotel. At two o'clock Alex and Bobby, like many others, were lead into a large conference room. Taking their seat in the middle of the room, Alex just had to say it. "Let the games begin."

Bobby gave her a stern look, before he turned his attention to the stage. What he didn't know was that Alex words would come to haunt him.

TBC...


	2. Introducing

**A/N: Thank you sooo much for the great reviews. I always think that fics that aren't meant to be too serious, just a little humor and romance, are less liked than the angst-filled once. I was surprised by the reviews. I do want to point out that you shouldn't expect too much of this fic. Don't think I'm going to be very accurate about excersises they have to do. I will do some research, but still is all just for fun. Also, I struggled with the language in this chapter. If you see me making the same mistake with words, the way I spell them in the past tense, please point them out to me, because sometimes I just don't know that the grammar isn't right. Again, suggestions about something they can do and stuff like that, are more than welcome! And reviews are greatly appreciated. Oooh and no promises about the next update...**

**Part two**

After a very boring introduction speech in which they talked about the reasoning behind the conference and the schedule for the next few days, they were divided in different groups. Alex and Bobby were relieved to find they wouldn't be separated. The group consisted of ten people, including Bobby and Alex. They were led to a separate room and asked to sit down in a circle. Everybody grabbed a chair and sat down next to their partner.

"Welcome everyone, my name is Elsie." The woman introduced herself to the others. She looked in her mid-thirties, had dark brown hair and was dressed in a grey pants with a matching grey jacket. "I'm going to be your group leader for the next few days. I've been doing this work for three years now. I've got a PhD in psychology and I live in San Fransisco with my husband and our two children Robbie and Michael. Let's get started, shall we? Let's start with introducing each other. Introduce your partner. Tell us about him or her, what describes him/her best, what makes your partner tick, what are his/her best qualities, what do you like about him? Things like that. Why don't you two begin." Elsie pointed to a man and woman sitting to her right. It was the woman who stood up first. She was a small Asian woman with black hair and dark eyes.

"My partner's name is Roy Johnson. We've been partners for two years and work at the LAPD. Roy is a single man who likes his bachelor life. He dates a lot, but is never serious about the women he dates. He's really good at his job. I can count on him to watch my back. What describes him best? I guess it's drive to catch the bad guy. Nothing will stop him from reaching that goal. What I like best about him is the way he can make me laugh during a difficult case. He can make me forget about the horrors that we come in contact with daily." Looking to Roy she waited for him to introduce her.

The man called Roy wasn't that much bigger than his partner. He however had blond hair and blue eyes. They made quite a pairing. "My partner is Lucy Brown. She's engaged to her Patrick and they are going to marry in May. She hasn't decided on the dress yet or where to hold the wedding. Hearing her talk about her marriage, I'm even more convinced to never get married. Too much of a hassle for me. But, back to her. Lucy's people skills are amazing. She connects to people, victims, in a way I never could. She can get to them on an emotional level. It's something I admire in her. People person, that's what describes her best. She's my partner and she keeps my in control."

"Good beginning." Elsie commented on the commentaries. "Maybe the next couple can try to go a bit more in depth." Pointing at Alex and Bobby, it was up to them.

Looking at each other, Bobby decided to go first. All eyes were focused on him and he wasn't really comfortable with that. "My… my partner is detective Alex Eames. We work at the NYPD. She… euuh…she's been my partner for six years now. She likes her occasional margarita, especially after a tough case. In her youth she was a member of a ABBA fan club." Alex groaned at his words. Leave it up to Bobby to tell complete strangers about something like that. She wasn't sure if this was what Elsie meant with more 'in depth'.

Giving Alex a quick look he continued. "Without her I'm half as good. She's a vital part, if not the most important part, of the way I do my work. The fact that she knows when to leave me alone, to support me or to call me on my mistakes is really important to me. Her unconditional faith in our partnership is very precious to me. I… I've had several partners before her, but I'm not easy to work with. Alex, from day one, she made it clear she wasn't going anywhere. There were bumps in the road, but that's in all new partnerships. There are no words to describe how thankful I am to have her by my side every day." Bobby took a deep breath. He'd already said more than he wanted and he hadn't really told Elsie what she wanted to hear. He didn't dare to look at Alex at this moment.

"I'm sorry… What do I like about Alex? The way she sticks by me and her sense of humor. She's got a dark sense of humor. She's probably the only one who can make me really laugh. She has many wonderful qualities. She's the one who deals with the captain and ADA. She's the negotiator and the mediator. Her best quality is the way she looks at both sides of a story and picks out what's important to our investigation. She can give me an entirely different look on a case. She's an eye opener. What I admire most about her is her 'tough as nails' attitude. Nobody messes with Alex Eames. I… I know things haven't been easy for her. She's worked at Vice and some men just don't treat her with respect. They see a woman who's worked her way up the ladder simply by her good looks and sleeping around. She doesn't deserve that. She's a great detective with great insight into people. When I look at her, I see a strong woman, who's worked hard to get where she is now and who deserves every praise she gets. I see a woman whom I've become to depend on and a woman who is willing to do a lot for the people she cares for. I see a very special woman."

The room was quiet, for Bobby's words were much more than expected. Alex felt all eyes on her, but refused to look up. And Bobby, who'd gotten a bit lost in his tale about Alex, actually blushed.

"Aah, yes, very good and… certainly in depth. Thank you." Elsie ended the silence. She wasn't about to comment on those words and the emotions that lay behind them. It was clear, without even hearing the woman talk about her partner, that those two had something special. They had history together. "Miss." Elsie said, pointing at Alex. "If you would like to tell us something about your partner.

"His name is detective Bobby Goren. Before he joined the NYPD he was in the army. After that he was at Narcotics for four years where he did a lot of undercover work. His sting operations led to 27 arrests that all resulted in convictions. He transferred to Major Case because he likes to get into the criminals head, figure them out and bust them. He has great profiling skills and psychology is one of his strong suits." She paused a moment to collect her thoughts. What she'd said so far was very superficial, nothing compared to what Bobby had said about her and Elsie did ask for in depth.

"He tries to fool people by acting clumsy or stumbling over his words. It's his way to keep people at a distance. When things tend to get serious he looks away and avoids eye contact. That's when I realize something hits home for him. He doesn't like to talk about himself and doesn't like it when all the attention is focused on him. I think somewhere in his past he's had that attention focused on him in a negative way. Getting praises are hard to accept for him also. His best quality is his gentleness and the way he is with kids. I call him my gentle giant. Some people only see a genius when they see him, see a profiler who can get into criminal heads without any problem, but they don't realize what it costs him. What I like most about him, is the respect he shows me. He sees me as a woman, but also as a detective who's more than capable of doing her job. He treats me as an equal and that hasn't always been the case in my past. His biggest fear is abandonment and sometimes I see him watching me, wondering if there will be a day when I won't be there any more. Despite his great skills, there's a part of him that's insecure even though he tries hard to hide that. When I look at him I see a kind, caring man who's had to deal with a lot in his youth, but came out a stronger person. I see a man who's exceptionally good at what he does. But most important I see a man whom I trust with my life, who cares for me. I see my closest friend."

Again the room fell quiet. To every one the bond between the two detectives was obvious. Elsie's initial thoughts about the special bond between the two, was confirmed. Without a doubt she knew the line between friendship and love was blurred for them. They obviously knew each other well. Alex had given more insight into her partner and less about what he meant for her. Bobby had mostly talked about what Alex did for him, how special she was for him. That fit perfectly with Alex's description that he found it hard to talk about himself. Watching them, she quickly turned to two women to the right of Alex. "Please, if you would like to continue."

Alex looked at her partner, who still refused to look anywhere but his papers. She knew he was grateful for her, she knew he respected her, but he never actually said it so directly. Never had he told her she was special and she couldn't ignore the shiver she felt run thought her body when he said that. She did have to admit it felt good to hear him say those words. She saw his gratitude in his eyes, but hearing the words was nice too. Especially when saying the words wasn't easy for her partner. She hadn't expected him to be quite so revealing, but then again neither had she.

Bobby was glad others were introducing themselves. He shouldn't have said so much. He'd probably embarrassed Alex and maybe even frightened her by telling how important she was to him. How much she was a vital part of his life. He wasn't surprised by her words. He knew she knew him better than she led on. She trusted him that was important to him. The fact that she called him her closest friend touched his heart. It also made him think about his own feelings for her. Clearly friendship was the only thing she felt for him. Since he did not want to lose her, he had to push his other feelings to the side.

He was surprised when he suddenly felt his partner's small hand cover his and giving it a gentle squeeze. Looking up at her, he saw her gently smile. He sighed, they were all right. He hadn't embarrassed or frightened her. Smiling at her he remembered her words, _her gentle giant_.

TBC...


	3. Exercise in trust

**A/N: Thanks you sooo much for the reviews. I'm just really happy you're enjoying this fic. It still surprises me, but surprises are nice. Thanks Karen for pointing out the English stuff. I appreciate that. Thoughts, suggestions, ideas are welcome. I found the exercise of this chapter online and thought it wasn't really an exercise. On the otherhand I did think it would be interesting for Alex and Bobby. I'm also surprised with my updates because I never update this fast unless I have more chapters ready. This is what your reviews have done to me:D I already have the idea for the next chapter in mind. Hopefully it won't take too long. Enjoy!**

**Part three**

After everybody had introduced their partners it was time for a short break. Alex was alone at the table, waiting for Bobby to bring back their coffee. She wasn't alone long though. She was joined by Lucy, Erica and Amanda. The last two were partners at the MDPD. They looked very much like each other, both with long blond curls, yet Amanda was slightly bigger built than Erica. They were a funny couple, laughing and joking around all the time.

"Mind if we join you?" Lucy asked.

"Not at all."

The three of them quickly took their seats. There was an uncomfortable silence at first, but Amanda quickly solved that.

"So Alex, that's quite an interesting partner you have." Amanda said, looking at Bobby who was still waiting for the coffee.

"That he is."

"Tell us something about yourself. We know you worked at Vice and now Major Case. What else?" Erica said.

"I have two brothers and a sister. I'm the youngest of the family. My dad was a cop also so I guess it wasn't a big surprise I joined the force."

"Are you married or do you have a boyfriend?" Roy's voice was heard from behind the group as he approached them with a coffee for Lucy.

The women smiled at each other. None of them was surprised, it had only been a question who Roy would go for. Apparently he'd set his eyes on Alex. What Roy didn't know was that Bobby was right behind him and heard his question. His eyes narrowed, that man had no right hitting on his partner. Roy, the bachelor who was never serious about the women he dated. No way, he was going to try anything with Alex.

Bobby took the seat next to Alex that she had kept free from him. Putting her coffee down she thanked him. She answered Roy's question. "No, no husband or boyfriend." Nobody but Bobby noticed the sadness that crossed her eyes at the mention of the word husband. He knew the loss still hurt her even though she would never admit that to him. In a typical Eames way she quickly replaced the sadness by humor. It had always been her way out. "How can I, when I work almost 24 hours a day and even if I meet a nice man, and that's a big if, he's either to threatened by me being a cop or he has some weird fetish about handcuffs."

It did work though, the group laughed at her joke. "That's so true. What is it with men when they meet a female cop? Can't they handle a strong woman? Do they want women to be weak and stuff like that? Is it still the alpha maleness that wants to protect their female, but as cops they know we don't need protection. Does that mean we're not as interesting anymore?" Erica totally agreed with Alex. Wanting to get a man's point of view she turned to Bobby.

"What do you think, Bobby? You're a man. Why can't men handle strong women?"

Bobby, who was quietly drinking his coffee and keeping an eye on Roy, was surprised by the suddenness of question. If they wanted a man's opinion, why not ask Roy? He seemed to be the logical option. "Well…, I don't know why some men have trouble with a strong woman. I… I can't really answer that. But you can't ignore the alpha male tendencies within a man. It's in our nature. You see it in movies, it's always up to the man to rescue the lady. Remember those old comic books? It was always the hero saving the damsel in distress. Men like to safe a damsel in distress, it feeds their ego's. Growing up we're learned to protect the women in our family, a mother or a sister. Look at the television shows, it's the same. As a little boy we're raised to protect women who were once seen as the weaker race."

It was Roy who reacted to Bobby. "And you ladies can't deny that once in a while you like it when we step up and protect you."

Alex, who wasn't really listening to Roy, was smiling at Bobby. Trust Bobby to give a thorough explanation. She remembered a case where he'd said the same thing, pointing out that men liked to safe the damsel in distress. What she remembered most about that case was when they'd gone undercover. They had been looking for a street artist who'd met his victims as he painted their portrait. She should have known Bobby would totally get into his role as charming passer by. Should have expected it, but she hadn't and his remark had thrown her off guard. _Not as pretty as the real thing_. Luckily Bobby hadn't seen her reaction. She couldn't figure out why that particular remark hit home, but it had and she'd quickly looked away, hoping he wouldn't see her blush. And he hadn't because Bobby had been entirely focused on the case, playing his part very convincingly. They had flirted and for a moment they had been lost in each other's eyes. However, Bobby's mind quickly turned back to the case and they arrested the guy. Who would have thought he would have made a flannel shirt look so attractive? After catching the artist, neither had uttered a word about their flirting. She was sure Bobby considered it just as a 'part of the job' , not realizing that it might mean more to her.

She was brought out of her remembrance by a large hand on her shoulder who could only belong to one person.

"Ready to go back?"

Back in the room there were now cushions in a circle on the floor. Everybody waited at the entrance for Elsie to tell them what the idea was.

"To end this first day there are two more exercises that I have in mind. One really short one, the other focuses more on the group than the partnership. It'll be a nice way to end this day. Okay, let's get started. I would like for you and your partner to find a place to stand facing each other. Anywhere around the room, but no sitting down."

After each couple had found a place they waited for further instructions. "This exercise is an exercise in trust. In your work it's important to trust each other completely. Many couple have already mentioned the fact that they trust their partner with their lives. I want you to look each other in the eyes for a minute, if you want you can touch, hold hands. It doesn't seem a significant exercise, but how many times have you really held each other's eyes? You'll be surprised with what you find. For those who'd like to hold hands, please do so."

Several couples held hands. Bobby hesitantly extended his hands, not knowing if Alex would want to hold hands. She did and he pulled her a little closer. He marvelled in how his two hands enveloped her much smaller ones.

"The minute starts now." Elsie announced.

She'd often tried to read him by looking into his eyes, but he often diverted his eyes. Probably hiding whatever she was going to find in those expressive eyes. For the first time she could really look at him without getting frustrated that he would look away. She saw him try to shift his eyes, but she knew he would always fulfil an assignment. She was hurt when she noticed he wasn't letting her in. His eyes held a guarded look. Why? She couldn't answer that question. On the job she could understand he didn't want to let her know what it truly did to him, but now it was just the two of them. There was nothing here to hurt him. She would not hurt him. Why was he hiding from her? Alex on the other hand wasn't hiding anything and she knew he would read the hurt in her eyes. And at the moment she didn't care. She looked at him the anger and betrayal showing in her eyes.

"That's it everybody. The minute is over. I'm sure you all had some interesting thoughts and maybe even revelations. We are not going to discuss them together. This exercise was just for the two of you. You can discuss it later on if you want or not. Now if you would all like to sit down on one of the cushions, we'll start with the next game."

Bobby debated his next course of action, talk to Alex or join the group. He knew he'd hurt her with his guarded look. He just didn't want to scare her away with the depth of emotions. She was the only one who could truly get inside his head. If he'd let her in his true feelings for had been right there in his eyes. He could not let her see them for he could not handle the rejection he was sure going to follow. No, and even though he did not like hurting her, he had to for the other option wasn't really an option. Alex, oblivious to his internal debate hadn't released his hands yet and pulled him closer. She didn't even try to disguise the accusation in her voice. "You're still hiding from me, Bobby."

TBC...


	4. Dinner

**A/N: This chapter was quite a struggle, but in the end it worked out. I always have difficulties with the passing of time and the change of scenery. How to bring them from one place to another. I was asked to have some more interaction with the group and here it is and there will be more. I'm overwhelmed by the reviews. Thank you so much! Again ideas, suggestions, remarks, grammar error, they're all welcome. I hope you'll enjoy!**

**Part four**

When everybody was seated on the cushions Elsie explained the next exercise. She handed out a piece of paper to everyone. "Depending on the time everyone can ask a person at least one question from the list. You can pass on the question if you don't have an answer, but we will get back to you. Try to ask different questions. You have to answer each question, but you don't have to explain it. You can if you want to, but you don't have to. Most important rule, don't comment on someone else's answer. We're not here to judge. Any questions?" Elsie gave Amanda the chance to ask the first question.

"What would you like to do most if you have a free afternoon, Alex?"

"Pick up my nephew at my brother's and take him out to the park or zoo." The soft look in Bobby's eyes as he looked at her, went unnoticed by Alex. She asked the question.

"Roy, if you could be a song, what song would you choose to be?"

A huge smile appeared on Roy's face. He liked this question. Winking at Alex –which did not go unnoticed by Bobby- he answered. "Sexbomb. No explanation necessary." The answer was met with a lot of laughs.

Several turns later it was Erica who asked Bobby an interesting question. "What cartoon character do you identify with?"

He didn't have to think long for that answer. "The Brain from Pinky and the Brain." He wondered if Alex was surprised by his answer. If so, she didn't show. There was only one person left to ask a question, Lucy. He was disappointed it wasn't Alex. "What scares you the most about next year?"

For Lucy that was an easy question. "Married life and if we can make it work."

Deciding it was enough for a first day Elsie called it quits.

Staying behind while Bobby waited outside the room, Alex made plans with the girls to go out. It was decided the entire group was going out to dinner and go out to a bar or club later on with who ever wanted.

Minutes later Alex caught up with Bobby and explained their plans. He reluctantly agreed, not wanting to leave her alone. Walking upstairs Bobby dared to raise the question. "Could we… can we talk?" Opening the door to his room he ushered her inside.

"I don't feel like talking." She simply wanted to forget his actions. It still hurt and at the moments she didn't want to deal with that.

"But I want to explain." She never turned him down before when he wanted to explain. Had he really gone too far this time?

"I just don't wanna hear it, Bobby. You hurt me and you know it. I don't want to think about it. I want to enjoy my evening and talking will not improve my mood. Now I'm going to my room and…"

Bobby stopped her there by holding up his hand. "I know… enjoy the bathroom."

Not quite sure what to make of that she decided to ignore it. "I'll see you in the lobby." Closing the door behind her she left him alone in his room.

After getting changed, Bobby went outside, hoping the fresh air would clear his mind. He'd only just walked onto the abandoned terrace when he almost bumped into Lucy.

"Hey Stranger." She greeted him with a friendly smile.

"Hi."

"You joining us for dinner?" Lucy tried to make conversation even though she noticed Bobby was troubled.

"Yeah." Bobby stuffed his hands in his pockets, not knowing what do with himself.

Lucy, who was very observant, saw something was bothering him. She wanted to try to get him to talk. "From our group you and Alex have been together longest. That's quite something." When Bobby didn't react she went on. "You two have something special."

"I don't think Alex would agree at the moment." He muttered.

She tried hard not to smile and succeeded. From the short time she'd known and observed Bobby she realized that even though he seemed a big tough guy, he in fact was very vulnerable and maybe even scared of his own feelings. She guessed he had a big heart, but didn't quite know how to let people in. Knowing that even men like Bobby needed someone to talk to once in a while she decided to go ahead. "Why? Did something happen?"

"I… I don't know if.." He paced in front of her with his hand at the back of his neck. "I don't think…"

Lucy stayed quiet guessing he needed time to formulate an answer.

"I hate it when we're out of balance. I… I try, you know. It's just… it's not easy for me. I don't know why she won't give me a chance. She means so much to me." His voice had gone soft near the end, but she had heard every word.

Before Lucy could form a reply, Roy was there, telling them it was time to go. Bobby quietly followed the others to the restaurant. His eyes on Alex the entire time. She looked beautiful in a knee length light grey skirt and a red top that showed her lovely curves. He saw the appreciated glances and couldn't help the anger that bubbled inside of him.

The anger kept building because Alex refused to say more than a polite greeting. He didn't deserve this even if he'd hurt her. She knew these kind of social things weren't his thing and he needed her to help break the ice.

At the restaurant he made sure he was seated opposite of Alex. That way she couldn't avoid him and he could see her eyes. Those brown eyes would tell him how she felt. That was if she would actually look at him for more than a few seconds. She kept averting her eyes, making sure he could not read her.

She knew she wasn't being fair to him, but he had truly hurt her. She thought their partnership was strong and built on trust. Apparently not. She couldn't get over the fact that he didn't know she would never hurt him. Why couldn't he see that?

Suddenly the conversation grew quiet and all eyes were on Bobby, including Alex's. Not knowing what the question was, he looked around, hoping someone would ask him again.

"What's the most fulfilling relationship you've ever had?" Amanda, who was sitting next to him, asked.

"The one with Alex." Even if Alex wasn't looking at him, he knew she would feel his eyes on her.

"No, what she meant was a romantic relationship." Erica clarified.

Knowing how uncomfortable he felt, Alex decided to step in. "Now Roy, I think your answer would be much more interesting." Bobby gave her a grateful look and for the first time in hours he saw Alex's smile.

"My most fulfilling relationship, let me think… I think the one with the stewardess. She learned me the true meaning of the Mile High Club. I could teach you the ropes if you're interested?" Roy laughed, winking at Alex.

Alex laughed. She liked Roy's attention. She liked the flirting and both know it would go no further. Roy apparently had more questions.

"Tell me Alex, what's your dream man and your dream date?"

"Am I on a dating show all of a sudden?"

"Come on Alex, tell me.. you know you want to and I'm not the only one who wants to know."

"Fine, dream date… one that I can actually finish without my pager going off and disturbing us. See… I'm not that picky."

"What about your dream man? Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom or a George Clooney look-a-like? Surprisingly it was Lucy who carried on the questioning. She was curious if Alex's description would come close to Bobby.

Alex eyes settled on Bobby for a few seconds before she answered the question. "I wouldn't mind a George Clooney look-a-like. Someone with those soulful brown eyes and I'm a sucker for his head tilt. But all kidding aside, I want a man who I can trust, who won't hide from me and who isn't scared away that easily."

"You won't be able to scare me away." Roy teased her.

"No, I'm going to have to drag you away." Alex shot right back, causing the group to explode in laughter again.

Finishing their dinner the group continued to a nice, cosy bar. Just outside the bar Bobby stopped Alex by putting his hand on her arm. Waiting for the others to leave them alone he enjoyed being near her again.

"Are we okay again?" He asked anxiously when they were finally alone.

She shook her head. This wasn't going to be fixed without even talking about it. She knew how much he wanted them to be back on track. "No, Bobby." Seeing his defeated posture she tried to reassure him. "But we'll get there. Let's just enjoy our evening." She walked inside looking back to see he was following her.

TBC...


	5. Boiling point

**A/N: If I thought last chapter was a struggle then this one was even more impossible to write. When I start having difficulties with a chapter, my English gets worse and I think you'll notice that at the beginning of the chapter. Half way through I get back on track. This chapter is slightly shorter than the others, but not much. And please don't start throwing things at me. I know, Alex isn't too pleasantin this chapter, but I needed both of them to get frustrated with each other to set up the next chapter. I needed them to be at crossroads at the end. I did give a little ofbackground of one of the characters, but not much yet. I will try to work that in. Again, don't get mad at me for this chapter. Remarks, suggestions, ideas and grammar mistakes are again welcomed in reviews.Enjoy even if you might get frustrated!**

**Part five**

The bar was nice and cosy with good music. Upon entering the group found a table for all of them and the men were off to get drinks.

"What's up with you and Bobby?" Erica asked her voice loud enough to be heard over the music. Everybody had noticed the tension between the couple during dinner. Not that Alex and Bobby had been subtle about their apparent fight. Alex had tried her hardest to ignore her partner and Bobby had kept trying to get her attention. He had failed.

"Nothing. Can we just forget about it." Noticing the men, including Bobby, approach she quickly changed the conversation. "Lucy, tell us about your Patrick. Where did you meet him and how did he propose?"

"We met at high school and have been together ever since. From the first time I saw him I knew he was the one. He's my soul mate and there's no one as important as he is in my life. I love him and it's as simply as that. He proposed to me at the beach in Miami. He dragged me out of bed early in the morning. He wanted to watch the sunrise with me and I agreed even though I'm not at my best early in the morning. Watching the sunrise he told me that being able to share this with me was very precious to him. He told me the sunrise was beautiful but nothing compared to the beauty he saw ever single morning when he woke up with me in his arms. And then he asked me if I wanted to marry him and I said yes."

What she didn't tell them was that it had taken her a long time to convince Patrick that he did deserve her and that she wasn't going anywhere. Patrick had been put in a foster home when he was five because his parents couldn't take care of him. His foster parents had been kind and loving, but he had a hard time dealing with the fact that his parents had abandoned him. She'd been telling the truth that she knew he was her soul mate the first time they had met, but left out the part that they had been friends for two years before anything happened. It had taken a long time to break through the walls he'd built to protect himself. In the end, just like she'd known, it had been worth it.

Several drinks later the conversation was floating freely and even Bobby seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Incoming." Roy announced as a blond man walked up to the group. Curious who was going to get the attention all eyes turned to the stranger who in turn got uncomfortable with the attention.

"Wanna dance?" He asked Erica, trying to win her over with a dazzling smile.

"Sure. See you folks later." Taking the blond man's hand.

Roy noticed Alex eyeing the dance floor. Doubting that Bobby would ask his partner to dance he sacrificed himself. "Alex, sweetheart, let's go move our bodies to that sensual beat."

"Bobby, my man… how about we go do a little rockin' of our bodies ourselves?" Amanda wondered if that tall handsome man would be a good dancer.

Before he could give a proper reply Amanda had already dragged him on the dance floor next to Alex and Roy.

Amanda was pleasantly surprised to see the man did know how to move. However she didn't want that much distance between them. Turning around, so her back was to his front, she pulled him closer by placing her hand around his neck and placed his hands on her hips.

Roy had lost Alex to another man, who had intervened their dance after a just a few minutes. Alex clearly didn't mind, accepting the stranger's hand without any hesitation. The man, who looked Italian and was dressed entirely in black, had whisked her off to a slightly darker corner of the dance floor. Their dance started off close together and as the song continued their bodies touched. Alex who liked the attention wasn't fooled. This man, Enrique, was a player and she knew he thought she would end up in his bed at the end of the evening. He would be surprised, but for now she enjoyed the dance.

As the song ended and turned into a ballad, Bobby disentangled himself from Amanda and looked around for Alex. He saw Roy, but Roy wasn't with Alex. Walking around the dance floor he spotted her in the arms of a small dark haired man. He didn't like how the stranger's hands were placed precariously close to Alex's behind. Not given any time to contemplate a course of action he was pulled on the dance floor by none other than Lucy. Turning them around every once in a while he made sure he could check on Alex.

Back at their table, Bobby heard the topic of conversation was Alex and the Italian guy.

"That guy only wants to get her into his bed." He heard Roy say to Erica and the blond stranger at her side.

"What do you think, Bobby? You think he'll succeed?"

"Don't." He groused. He didn't like that tone and since he couldn't get angry at the man who was practically forcing himself on Alex, he went for the easy target. "Don't talk about her like that." Grabbing Roy by the collar. "You have no right."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Alex's raised voice called from behind him.

She had enjoyed her dance with Enrique, but found him to be a little too frisky. There was no mistaken his intentions and she wasn't going to be part of any of it. The scene at their table with Bobby practically ready to hit Roy shocked her.

Quickly he let Roy go and turned to Alex to apologize. "I.."

"No hard feelings, Alex. Tell us about your Italian friend." Roy tried.

"No, tell me what happened." Placing her hands on her hips she glared at Bobby.

Great, right when things started to improve, everything fell apart again. He knew his explanation would do him no good. He knew how she felt when he got protective. Saying she didn't appreciate it was an understatement.

"He was only defending your honour." Erica tried to help Bobby out.

"I don't need my.."

"Alex, don't sweat it okay. I was a jerk and Bobby had every right." Roy chimed in.

With a final glare she walked to the bar to get another drink.

"I'm sorry." Bobby apologized to Roy.

"Like I said, I was a jerk."

Lucy, who'd observed the whole scene, quietly sat down next to Bobby. In his actions she saw how much Alex meant to him. She wondered how Alex couldn't see that. Or maybe Alex felt the need to move things forward, but was waiting for Bobby to acknowledge that too.

"Don't worry." She whispered in Bobby's ear. " give her some time to cool off. Talk later." Nodding his agreement he thanked her with a smile.

The cosy moment between Bobby and Lucy didn't go unnoticed by Alex. She couldn't help the pang of jealousy that went through her. She knew it was ridiculous because she'd heard how much Lucy loved her fiancé.

She'd just taken her seat next to Lucy when Enrique appeared out of nowhere next to her. "Mi amore, another dance?" He asked, leering at Alex.

Bobby shot the Italian Casanova a threatening look which Alex and Enrique noticed. Both however reacted different. Enrique felt intimidated, looking for an excuse while Alex, who was still pissed off, just wanted to get back at Bobby.

"I'd love to Enrique." She grabbed his hand. "Show me some more of those exciting moves."

"Ooh I will Alex, I will."

Bobby who had enough of Alex's actions stood up. "I'm heading back. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Giving Lucy some cash to take care of his drinks he grabbed his coat and walked back to the hotel. He couldn't stand seeing Alex with that jerk. He was frustrated and angry with Alex. She was playing him and he didn't like that one bit. First he'd tried to talk to her, but she refused. After his confrontation with Roy he'd tried to apologize, but again she didn't want to hear it. In stead she went off with Enrique who's hands were probably all over her body. He didn't need to see that. He realized he'd over reacted by grabbing Roy, but her refusal to deal with him had gotten to him. She wanted him to react and so he did. It was her fault that it had gotten that far and he was pretty sure she knew. It had never crossed his mind that they would ever get to this point, both fed up with each other. Maybe their partnership wasn't as good as they thought. Back at his hotel room Bobby let himself fall back on his bed. Simply fact was they were at crossroads, both angry with each other and both unwilling to talk. There were some long days ahead of him.

TBC...


	6. Back on track

**A/N: FFnet was acting which is the reason why this update took longer than expected. For the record, I did have this finished yesterday. Thanks again for the reviews. Glad you didn't think Alex was too mean. Finally Bobby and Alex talk again. Enjoy! Suggestions, ideas, remarks, grammar stuff it's all welcome...just don't be too harsh!**

**Part six**

The following morning the entire group was exhausted and grumpy. Some were hung over, others like Bobby had hardly slept. Alex and Bobby hadn't exchanged more than a polite greeting.

As the group entered the same room as the day before, Elsie immediately noticed something was wrong. The tension in the air was palpable. Relaying what they were going to do today, she kept her eyes on Bobby and Alex. There was something seriously wrong there. Looking at the group again she decided to change her plans. Clearly they all needed to wake up properly. Going outside and get some fresh air would do them good. Telling them to meet her in five minutes outside she left them alone. From a distance she kept her eyes on Bobby and Alex. They didn't exchange any words, Alex walked upstairs with Erica and Amanda and Bobby was accompanied by Lucy.

Outside everybody was in their coats, gloves and scarves. It was cold and it had snowed that night. It created a romantic scene, but no one really noticed. Elsie had set up a field with different obstacles in it, chairs, balls, branches, benches and more. In her hand Elsie held blindfolds.

"Your assignment is quite simple. Guide your partner through this minefield. It's important to really communicate with each other. Don't be fooled, this isn't as easy as it seems. It gives us a good chance to see how well you communicate with your partner and how much you trust them."

Looking at the partners she chose Amanda and Erica to go first and hoped the mood between Alex and Bobby would improve. Judging from the dark looks she didn't have high hopes. Surprisingly Erica managed to talk Amanda through the obstacles fairly easy. She communicated clearly and frequently with Amanda. Above anything else she was very patient.

"Bobby, why don't you and Alex go next. Bobby you guide her through the minefield." Taking into consideration the tension between the two, Elsie tied the blindfold for Alex and placed her at the beginning of the field.

"Two steps forward." He was standing on the other side of the field to guide her through it. "Eeuhh…stop." He said as she almost bumped into a large branch. "Now euuhh… four paces to the left."

Seeing her move to the left, he was too late to correct his mistake. It should have been her right and not left. Instead of finding a clear path she bumped into a wooden bench.

"Damn it." She swore, rubbing her hand over her now sore knee.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"Just get me through this in one piece." Ignoring his apology she waited impatiently for his guidance.

"Six steps to your right and then one step forward. Euuh…no… two steps forward."

Alex stepped to her right, keeping in mind her partner's clues. "No.. one step forward." She heard him correct himself again. Standing still she raised her head to where his voice sounded. "Make up your mind, Goren. I'm not going to stand here forever waiting for you to figure out the next move."

Bobby swallowed his reply, knowing this was not the place to get into things. "One step forward. Now… go… euuhh…"

"For God's sake Goren, stop mumbling and get on with things."

This time he couldn't hold back his reply. "Just do it yourself or should I ask Enrique or maybe Roy? Would that be better?"

Alex yanked off her blindfold and started for Bobby. Luckily Elsie intervened. "Stop it you two!" Looking from Alex to Bobby she wasn't going to ignore this any longer. "You guys continue with the exercise. Roy and Lucy, why don't you two go. And you two.." She said to Bobby and Alex. "you're going with me."

Away from the group Elsie admonished the two NYPD detectives. "I don't know what's going on with you two and I don't wanna know, but you need to fix it. The entire group feels the tension. You are acting like small children. Talk this out, only then are you allowed to join us."

"Now look what you did!" Alex stalked off back into the hotel.

"I did?" He called after her. "You had a part in this too. Stop it, Alex." He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, looking at the hand on her arm. He almost never touched her.

"We are going to talk about this."

"I don't want to." Alex said realizing how immature she sounded. She regretted her earlier actions, knowing she hadn't be fair to him. But in the heat of the moment it could be difficult not to lash out. She was confused by her feelings that had come to surface much stronger now that they were away from New York.

Giving her a look he took her hand and lead them back to his hotel room. In Bobby's room an uncomfortable silence fell between them. For the first time since their blow-up they looked at each other.

Running a hand through his hair he thought of a way to start. "This is a mess. I'm sorry for yesterday and today."

"I'm sorry too, Bobby." She shook her head, never had she thought they could get like this.

"How did we get here, Alex?" He asked her, sitting down on a chair.

"I wish I knew." His next question surprised her for she never thought he would voice it.

"What's going on with us, Alex? This isn't like us." He sounded as defeated as he felt.

For her it all came back to the moment where he'd shut her out. "I don't want you to hide from me and you are. You know you don't need to."

Leaning his head on his hands he took a deep breath. He'd dreaded this moment ever since it had happened. "I… I don't want to hide from you. It's just…"

"What didn't you want me to see?"

That was a question he didn't want her to ask. He wasn't ready to answer that yet. "C… can we push that question aside for a moment? I… I can't answer that now." He was a little surprised when she didn't object. He thought she would have pushed the subject. "Is this what being away from New York does to us? I thought we were stronger than that."

She heard the doubt in his voice, the same doubt she felt. "Me too, Bobby, me too." Feeling tired she sat down on his bed.

"I can't understand. We are good partners, we know each other and trust each other. We've never…. One simple exercise and we snap. It's as if our partnership… no friendship doesn't mean a thing. That can't be true. We are stronger than that. Where is this doubt coming from? Why can't we go back to what we had?" He paused before he voiced the question he in fact really didn't want the answer to. "Does this mean we…"

Knowing where he was going with it she stopped him. "No, it doesn't." She was determined that this was not the first crack in their partnership. "I'm sorry for yesterday evening. I was awful to you. I just… you hurt me and you knew it. You made the decision not to let me in purposely and you knew the consequences." Falling back onto the bed she stared at the ceiling. "Come here." She patted on the mattress.

Looking up he wondered if she really meant that. She wanted him next to her on the bed. That was not good. He had already hardly slept that night and knew the images of them together on the bed would come to haunt him this night. "I'm not sure…"

"Just come here, Bobby. I'm not going to attack you."

Making his way to the bed he sat down next to her and let himself fall backwards. Since he'd already examined the ceiling that night, he turned his head toward her. He found her watching him. "Let's try again." She whispered, indicating the exercise that had started it all.

"I don't know if this is.."

Placing her finger on his lips she silenced him. "I won't talk about it if you don't want to. Just… give me this. Please?"

Nodding he took the hand with which she'd silenced him in his hand, entwined their fingers and rested their hands on his chest. This time he didn't hold anything back, his gaze was open and unguarded and so was hers. They held each other's eyes for more then a minute and felt their strong bond come back to them. Both knew there was still a lot to deal with, but for now they both cherished the return of their closeness both physical and emotional.

TBC...


	7. Snowball fight

**A/N: It was time for some fun and when I have snow in my fics, I cannot resist a snowball fight. It's the child within me. This week I had the sudden thought of Bobby in swimming shorts. Yes... I am weird like that... and obsessed with VDO. I wondered how to put that into a fic for what could the reason be to have him in shorts. Someone suggested to let them go to the pool in this fic. And I thought... why not? But that will be next chapter. Maybe you think things are moving fast, but in the previous chapter Bobby and Alex did get back on track again. I think when it's dealt with it's dealt with and they move on. Maybe I went a bit too fast, I dunno know. Don't get angry if you think I did. Anyway still hope you enjoy and please R&R... that is if ffnet is working properly again. Ideas, suggestions, grammar stuff...it's all welcome.**

**Part seven**

When they joined the group outside, they were at ease again with each other as if nothing had happened. Both acknowledged that it had, but had put it behind them. Sometimes all you needed was a good talk and there was no need to hold a grudge. The easy camaraderie was back with the undercurrent of something more. Looking around they didn't see anyone. Wondering if they had gone back inside a voice called out of nowhere.

"Goren, over here!" Turning around to the sound a snowball hit him right in the face. Wiping the snow off his face he saw Amanda and Roy behind a tree laughing at him.

What he hadn't seen was that Alex had left him alone. Looking around for her, he again was hit with a snowball. Hearing her soft laughter he knew she was the one who'd thrown it. "Watch your back, Alex." He warned her. This would not go by unpunished. First, he had to get back at Roy. Grabbing a hand full of snow he started his search. He didn't get far for he was hit by more snow.

The entire group got caught up in a huge snowball fight, running after each other, throwing snowballs and loving every minute of it. Alex had gotten hit a few times, but she'd managed to avoid her partner. She hadn't forgotten his words and kept an eye on him. When Lucy hit her with a snowball she retaliated, forgetting Bobby for a moment. That was all it took to get his revenge.

Just as he was about to throw the ball, Erica yelled to Alex. "Alex, behind you! Run!"

Knowing that looking behind wouldn't be a good idea she ran for it. That wasn't easy in the snow and Bobby who was so much bigger than her, caught up with her quickly. But her lack of speed she made up with manoeuvrability. So as he closed the distance between them she quickly turned to her right. Bobby, who hadn't seen that coming, slipped and fell face down in the snow.

Alex turned and watched him, laughing at the sight he presented. She could only enjoy it for a moment, for he was up his feet again and chasing her. This time he wouldn't be fooled again or so he thought. Making a move to her right, she quickly turned to her left. Thinking she'd outrun him, she suddenly felt a hand on her waist. "Not this time, Alex."

Before he could get a good hold on he slipped again and grabbed onto Alex to prevent himself from falling. Unfortunately that only resulted in the both of them ending up in the snow with Bobby on top of Alex. His weight on her back was rather uncomfortable, pressing her face forward into the snow.

Realizing he was probably crushing her he placed his hands next to her head and put his weight on his elbows. He had to admit he liked this position. She felt good beneath him.

"Told you to watch your back." He whispered in her ear.

She felt his shiver go right through her body. He had certainly kept his promise.

"Here." He said, holding a hand full of snow, he pulled her scarf aside and rubbed the snow in her neck.

"No, Bobby!" Alex yelled. Feeling the snow on her neck she started to wriggle her way from underneath him. She quickly realized there was no way she was going to get out from underneath him without his cooperation. He was simply too heavy.

Bobby, who rather enjoyed Alex's wriggling, grabbed another hand of snow, pulled off her woollen cap and let the snow fall over her hair.

"You're going to regret you did that!" She warned him.

"I don't think so."

"Can I turn around now?"

"Sure." Instead of getting on his feet he stayed where he was.

Slowly turning around on her back she saw him smile at her. Returning her smile she simply looked at him. It felt good to be near him again. She'd missed his gentle and comforting presence yesterday. She didn't like it when they argued, even if it had been necessary at that time. He meant so much to her. He was her best friend and she didn't want to lose him. She was aware that these days here at the conference could be life changing. They were both aware of that. Was it worth the risk, she wondered. Would Bobby be willing to take that risk ? They couldn't just jump ahead. That would be out of character for both of them and they had a lot to take into consideration. But she knew what she felt and she knew she wanted more.

"Alex?" He'd seen her eyes go distant as if she was in deep thought.

She blinked a few times and focused back on her partner. She raised her hand, cupping his cheek briefly. The gesture wasn't as intimate as it could have been because of her gloves. Continuing upwards she put her hand on the back of his head. Slowly she pulled him closer, her eyes darting from his eyes to his lips. Making sure his eyes were on her, her tongue snuck out to wet her lips. She saw Bobby swallow hard, his eyes now also darting between her lips and eyes. When their lips were only inches apart she saw his eyes were entirely focused on her lips. As he got even closer his eyes closed in anticipation of the kiss. She slowly directed his head to the right, above her shoulder. Before that even registered in his mind, he was distracted by her hips moving suggestively under him, causing him to groan.

Moving quickly she pushed his elbows from under him, grabbed snow in both her hands and rubbed it in his face. Direct hit! Not giving him time to recover she placed both hands on his chest, using all her strength to push him off of her. This time she succeeded because Bobby's mind was still otherwise occupied.

Standing above him she enjoyed her little victory. Don't let it be said that Alex Eames didn't know how to get to her partner! "Told you, you'd regret it!" Thinking he would need some time to cool off she went in search of the others.

He regretted the snow in his face, but he certainly didn't regret their earlier position. Never ever had she'd been like this with him. When he'd seen her look from his lips to his eyes his breath had caught in his throat. Would she really kiss him? How would she taste? Were her lips really that soft? Would sparks fly? Would he be able to control himself? Questions he hadn't had the answer to… yet. When it came to their relationship – whatever that was at the moment- she was the one in control. He realized that all too well. Recovered from Alex's closeness, he noticed he was still laying in the snow. Standing up he patted the snow off his clothes and looked around for the perpetrator.

"Goren." Amanda called out to him as she walked back into the 'classroom'. "Alex kicked your ass, didn't she?"

"It sure is clear who wears the pants in your partnership!" Erica chimed in.

Not giving the two MDPD detectives the pleasure of a reaction he walked to the coat rack to get rid off his coat. He however stopped shortly when he heard Alex's voice.

"You just gotta make the right moves."

And she had found the right moves, that was sure. He was brought out of his thoughts when Lucy appeared at his side.

"Good to see you two back on track." She smiled at him.

"Yeah…"

"Does she know how important she is to you?"

Looking away from her, Lucy recognized this was his way of avoiding his feelings. His eyes were too expressive. Shaking his head he kept silent.

"What are you afraid of? She's been with you for years now. She's not going anywhere. Show her, tell her." Laying a comforting hand on his should she saw him nod. Guessing he needed time to think she left him alone.

Lucy was right of course. He hoped Alex knew how much he cared. He'd talked about how important she was during their introduction talk, but he'd never actually told her. Did she knew? Could she see it in his eyes? Did she see that he loved her? More importantly, was he ready to risk their partnership for an even more fulfilling relationship? His heart told him he should, his head told him to stick with what he had.

"Bobby?"

Turning towards her voice he saw her giving him a questioning look. "Everything all right?" Alex knew that that look, he was dealing with something.

He nodded, hoping she would give him a moment. Sensing he wouldn't appreciate her prying she got to the point. "It's lunch time. Elsie told us to be at the swimming pool at two."

It took him a few seconds to register her words. "Swimming pool?" He hadn't even known they had a pool here.

"Yeah. You joining us for lunch?"

Swimming? On a conference? Come to think of it, he hadn't even brought his swimming shorts with him. Some shopping was in order and fast! "You go ahead, I'll join you later."

"Why?" She was suspicious, was there still something wrong? Seeing the embarrassment in his eyes she took a wild guess. "Don't tell me you forgot your stuff?" Laughing out loud she exclaimed. "You did? I can't believe it, you never forget anything! What'cha gonna do, Bobby? Go skinny dipping?"

He growled at her. Grabbing her shoulders he turned her around and pushed her away. "Go eat your lunch. I'll see you later." Taking his coat again he stalked off, hearing Alex's laughter until he reached the exit.

TBC...


	8. Swimming pool

**A/N: This one took slightly longer than the others. Thanks again for the terrific reviews. I just needed to put Bobby in swimming shorts, I couldn't help myself. The end of this fic is approaching and I was wondering how you would like this fic to end? There will be no smut, because I'm not good at writing smut and smut needs to be good. Should I end it on the last day of the conference, or maybe end it in NY with Deakins asking about the conference? And remember some fun and angst is the name of this game. Nothing too serious. Elsie is gone, because well.. I ran out of ideas for game and just wanted it to be Bobby, Alex and the rest. As always reviews are welcome, ideas, suggestions, remarks and grammar stuff also. Bumped into a major mistake, that's why the chapter is updated again.**

**Part eight**

Alex, Lucy, Amanda and Erica were sitting on the edge of the pool with their feet in the water waiting for the rest of the group to show. They'd admitted to each other that they were looking forward to the view.

"Chest hair or no chest hair?" Amanda asked the group.

"Definitely a no." Erica said, looking around for some attractive men in the pool. "Look at that man there, in those blue shorts. Attractive, nice muscular chest, no chest hair and strong legs. I give him a 9."

"Alex, what about you?"

"Just as long as the chest hair doesn't start to lead a life of it's own I don't care that much. I want a broad chest, broad shoulders and broad back. Not too tall though because that would make things difficult. And just a little tan would be nice. See that man with his daughter? Not too tall, nice broad back, nice ass and look at him smiling at his little girl. He's a 7.5."

"Ooh my God, look at that!" Amanda exclaimed, pointing at a man who'd just walked into the swimming pooling.

Laughing, Lucy managed to crack out. "That's just wrong! It's just too short!"

"No men can wear those and look attractive."

"That is one scary speedo." Alex commented between laughs.

The man in question was wearing a bright yellow speedo that had some drawings in green on them. What made it even worse was that the man wasn't really in good shape, his beer belly hanging over his speedo.

Interrupting the girls giggles was Roy. "Girls, you ready too see something impressive?"

"Yeah sure, is Bobby finally ready?" Lucy retorted.

"Nooo." Roy sounded indignant. "Watch this." He took a deep breath and struck a body builders pose for the ladies, with his arms bowed and muscles tense.

Trying to remain serious, the women couldn't hold their laughs in any longer. "Obviously you girls don't appreciate a fine looking man." Roy straightened his back.

"Oooh but we do, we've been grading the men we've seen. Now let's see…" Alex looked Roy up and down. He was wearing red shorts, had nice strong legs, but he really didn't have a broad, muscular chest, which for her was the selling point. "… a seven."

"Seven?" Looking at the others, he saw them gaze beside him. Turning around, Bobby had made his presence known. And the women no longer had eyes for him.

He was wearing simple black swimming shorts which reached his knees with an orange seam on both sides. He'd been lucky to find a sports store close by. It was always difficult to find clothes that were his size. Looking through the swimming shorts he was about to give up when a sales woman had offered to look in the back for him. She'd gotten back with the black shorts. Quite pleased with them he bought them. He got self conscious by the looks the women were giving him. He knew he wasn't in the best of shape. He'd gained some weight, didn't have a six pack and wasn't that muscular, but surely he wasn't that bad?

"Mmm… very natural. I like the fact that he's tall. Some chest hair… not too excited about that, but those shorts look nice on him. All things considering I say a 7.5." Amanda explained how she got to her rating.

"I see your points, but I've gotta say he's certainly an 8." Lucy gave her opinion.

Hearing the girls opinions he shot Alex a curious look, raising an eyebrow at her. Now, what would she think? How would she grade him? However he never did get a reply 'cause all that was heard was the girls' screams as Roy jumped into the water, splashing the four women. The screams got even louder when he pulled Lucy and Erica into the water.

Alex, who was thankful she was still sitting, felt movement beside her. Sitting down next to her, shoulder to shoulder, much closer than usual, was Bobby. He bumped her shoulder with his to get her to look at him. "To me you're a 8."

"Only a 8, Bobby? You disappoint me."

"You're sitting down, there's not much for me to see, but I do like what I have seen so far."

"And we'll keep it that way for now."

"In you go, Bobby." Amanda said, giving Bobby a hard shove he landed in the water.

Putting her hands on Alex, Amanda was about to shove Alex in the water, when they heard Elsie's voice.

"Before things get out of hand, if you could please come over here, I've got some news." Everyone got out of the water and grabbed a chair. "I got a phone call and gotta go home. I need to be at the airport in an hour and a half."

"Is it something serious?" Alex voiced her concern for the woman, whom she'd come to like.

"Nothing too serious, but I do have to go home. You guys will have the rest the day off. And tomorrow, your last day, you can spend any way you want to. I, however didn't want to leave without talking about partnerships and relationships. I know that as partners you spend a lot of time together. Sometimes even more than with the person who's waiting at home for you. You share a lot of things, some good, some bad… some best forgotten. You go home at the end of the day to your girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife, and you can't share your experience because you don't want them to know how awful the world can be. Because of all you share you develop a close friendship. It's easy to mistake this friendship for love. That's where things can go wrong. I think it's a good idea to talk about this. How do you feel about it? Do you think some partners make the mistake of reading too much into their friendship? Is it a definite no-go or do you think it's not a big problem?"

Lucy voiced her agreement. "On the job you share so much with each other. You're right, you share the good and the bad. There are things that I see that I don't want to share with Patrick. Sometimes I come home from a long day of work and the case keeps running through my head. It can be hard to leave work at work. At times Roy calls me after work, because he has found something. I know it isn't always easy for Patrick to see how close I am with Roy. But I think you have to be close, you have to be able to read each other. You protect each other out there, you watch each other's back, you can't do that without really knowing each other and with that comes friendship.

Roy and Patrick are my two best friends, but Patrick I love. Is it a definite no-go? I don't know, I can't judge that, only the partners in question can do that. I agree, it is easy to slip from friendship into a something more, but I think in the end you know whether it's really love or friendship. I don't think it's easy to go down that road, but like I said only the people involved will know if it's worth the risk."

"I've seen it happen." Erica stepped in. "It can destroy a partnership if it's done for the wrong reasons. I remember a friend of mine. He and his partner had been together for a year. They got this horrible case, a pedophile who first sexually abused his victims, strangled them and cut them up. It was awful and I saw how it tore them apart emotionally. They'd shared so much during that case.

After that case they gradually grew closer, everybody saw it. One day, months later, they hardly talked to each other anymore. Everything that had ever been there, even their friendship, it seemed gone. Talking to him he told me after that gruelling case they had grown closer, eventually into a relationship. In the end if was all for the wrong reasons. The need for comfort and understanding had made them take things a step further than was good for them. It damaged a good partnership and they ended it shortly after their break up." Erica saw understanding nods from the others.

Bobby and Alex were both quiet, not taking part of the discussion. Bobby was afraid that maybe what Alex felt for him was friendship and not love. What if they were making that mistake? Reading more in their friendship than there truly was.

"Bobby? Alex? Care to share your thoughts?" Elsie asked them. She'd started this topic of discussion on purpose. She knew they had a deep friendship and the possibility of a whole lot more. With the way they were looking and reacting to each other, she guessed they were both thinking about the possibility of turning their friendship into something a lot more personal. This was to make them aware of what they were about to do, to make sure they took everything into account.

Alex shot Elsie a look, letting her know she was not fooled. Knowing that Bobby would rather not answer, she went for it. "It's a decision not to be taken lightly. In the end, you're the only one who knows what you feel. If it's right it's right and it'll be worth the risk." Tapping her hand on her chair, she thought about sharing more.

"I know how it is. I've been on the other side. My husband…" She swallowed, it was still difficult to talk about him. "He was a cop too. His partner was a beautiful woman and I admit I was jealous. I worked in Vice back then and didn't have a partner, we worked with a team. I saw how he was with her. I saw how close he was with her and it wasn't easy for me. He reassured me that he loved me and I believed him. Maybe things were a bit easier because I was a cop too, he could share things with me. But I knew there was stuff he didn't want to talk about with me. I know it was his way of protecting me. I will never know if something would have happened. He… he died in the line of duty. In a perfect world I would say he would have loved me forever and that nothing would have come between us. There is no such thing as a perfect world and we all know how tough the job can get and at our worst we can seek comfort in the wrong place." It had gotten too much for her and she was on the verge of tears. Even though she'd lost her husband years ago, talking about his death always brought back a turmoil of feelings. "Excuse me." She mumbled, leaving a stunned group alone.

Following her with his eyes, his brain couldn't register all her words. This was the most he'd ever heard her talk about her husband. Putting the subject of the conversation, how confronting it might be, aside for a moment he knew he had to go after her.

"I'm sorry." He excused himself from the group and went in search of Alex.

TBC...


	9. Goodbye Elsie

**A/N: I can't say it enough: thank you for the reviews! This is a transition chapter that had to be written. I think it has some nice moments, but it's nothing special. Next chapter will be a date, and if anyone has any suggestions of what they want to happen, let me know. That chapter will take a little longer because I always have difficulty writing romantic stuff. I liked the idea that was suggested to me about having the fic end at the conference and write an epilogue for when they're back with Deakins. I will go for that idea. So thank you for suggesting it! (I'm sorry I forgot you name... I'm never good with names). Enjoy!**

**Part nine**

Sitting in a separate small round pool he found her huddled together. With her back to him he couldn't see if she was crying. Seeing her in distress tore at his heart.

"Alex?" He crouched down behind her.

Getting no reaction from her, he placed his hand on her bare shoulder. He couldn't quite ignore the spark he felt from touching her skin.

She still didn't acknowledge him. Wanting to get closer he got in beside her. The water was surprisingly warm.

"Come here." He gently put a strong arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

His gentleness, the comfort he offered and her own need for his presence was the final drop. She quickly turned towards him, put her arms around his waist and pressed herself against him.

The fact that they were both clad in their swimming clothes didn't occur to them. This was about giving comfort and receiving it.

"Talk to me." He said into her hair.

"It's been years, but I still miss him. He was a part of my life for so long. I've given his death a place and I can look back on our live without the pain of his loss. I remember the good times, how good we were together. Talking about him…"

"Resurfaces the loss you suffered. The emptiness his passing away caused you." He felt her nod against his shoulder.

The way he talked, the way he understood surprised her. She was talking about her dead husband, a man she'd loved dearly, with a man who might be able to fill the void her husband had left behind.

After a moment of silence, Bobby sensed that she needed some time to alone to give it all a place. Placing a gentle kiss on her hair, he said. "Take you time. I'm gonna find the others." On his way back he almost bumped into Elsie.

"Bobby, glad I caught you. I wanted to apologize. I didn't know."

"It's okay, you couldn't have known."

"Is she all right?" Looking around for Alex, Elsie didn't find her.

"She will be."

"I've gotta go. I just wanted to say goodbye to you and Alex. Take care of yourself and Alex."

"I will. Alex is right behind that low wall." They shook hands before Elsie went to see Alex.

"Thanks… and Bobby." Elsie said, turning around. "you two got something special. Cherish that." She couldn't leave without giving him advice.

"Alex?" Elsie approached the woman she'd caused distress.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to the airport. I apologize for upsetting you. I didn't know."

"That's okay." And really Elsie couldn't have known, nor did Alex blame her.

"Upsetting you wasn't my intention."

"What exactly was your intention?" Alex finally turned to Elsie.

"I wanted to give you and Bobby something to think about. Some people go head of heels into something. I just wanted to make sure you two don't."

"Yeah, I know and don't worry, you've given Bobby enough to think about." Even though they hadn't talked yet, Alex knew Elsie's words were going to be analyzed by him.

"I didn't mean to cause problems." Elsie looked at her watch. "I really have to go now. Hold your ground, Alex. He needs you, just like you need him, he just needs a little more time to realize it."

"We'll be fine Elsie and thank you for everything." Getting out of the pool they briefly hugged each other.

A couple of hours later, most of the group had left the pool. They'd played a game of volleyball, relaxed in the water and acted like small children – splashing each other- for a short while.

Bobby, Alex, Amanda and Roy were the only ones left in the water. Bobby had seen Alex recover from heartache the mention of her husband had caused. Shortly after their talk she'd been smiling and joking around again. He'd watched her lot. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her light blue bikini. Her light skin was beautiful and seeing her move around in that swimming pool sometime made him catch his breath. And she'd known he'd been looking, teasing him with her movements and enjoying every minute of it.

In her turn, Alex had been watching Bobby. During the volleyball game, she'd observed from the side of the pool, giving her a good view of his body. Seeing the muscles working when he hit the ball, was quite a sight and she couldn't say she didn't enjoy the game. She also enjoyed watching him so relaxed and comfortable. She hardly saw him joking around, laughing with others. It was good to see him like this.

He was making his way back through the water to Alex when he saw her lift herself out of the water onto the edge. Quite a sight and he took a moment to enjoy it. Settled down, Alex saw his look and winked at him. Smiling she pointed her finger at him to come closer.

He did exactly that, slowly making his way to her. Standing in front of her he leaned forward, closing her in by placing his hands beside her on the edge. She seemed so small surrounded by his big form. With his head next to hers he whispered in her ear. "You wanted to see me?"

"Mmm.." She nodded, shifting closer to him. "You never gave me your grade. Now that you've seen me, I'd like to hear what you think."

"I've always thought you were beautiful, Alex. Don't ever doubt that." He knew she hadn't expected such a serious answer, but she needed to know that in his eyes, she'd never been anything less than beautiful.

Putting her hands on his shoulder she traced his strong arms lightly, causing shivers to run through Bobby's body. Taking a deep breath he tried to ignore what she caused inside him. "I wanted to ask you a question." Slightly leaning back he looked in her eyes.

Seeing the serious look in his eyes she stilled her movement, keeping her hands on his shoulders. "Yes?"

"I wanna go out to dinner tonight. Just… just the two of us, not the group. I want to spend time with you alone. I… think we have a lot to talk about."

Cupping his cheek in her hand, she brought his eyes back to her, which he - not surprisingly- had averted earlier. "I'd love to." She brushed his lips briefly with hers, before she pulled him into a hug. She loved being in his embrace, surrounded by his presence. Loved the feel of safety and protection it gave. At moments like that she didn't mind that she was small.

Lifting her up, he quickly turned around and before she could even tighten her hold on him, he'd dropped her in the water already.

"Bobby!" She exclaimed when she resurfaced again, standing in the pool, running a hand through her hair.

"I like this, with all the water running down that body of yours… I'll give you a 9. Wanna know what you need to do to get a 10?" He answered her earlier question.

She shook her head, she had this coming. "Nope, I'm quite happy with my 9 and you mister." She pointed at him. "are going to have to wait before you can judge if I'm a 10."

TBC...


	10. Date talk

**A/N: Yeah my apologies. This took so much longer than expected. During this chapter I regretted the idea of the date. It was sooo hard to write. In the end I decided to skip some bits 'cause that was better. Otherwise it would have been a bad chapter. But now I think the conversation works. After this, one more chapter... and an epilogue. I'd love to hear ideas for the next chapter because I really don't know what I should let Bobby, Alex and the group do on their last day. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! My thanks goes out to Heather, even though there wasn't much she could add, it's the thought that counts! Enjoy and let me know what you think. Warning: Fluff!**

**Part ten**

She'd had to do some last minute shopping because she hadn't expected to go out on a date, let alone a date with her partner Bobby Goren. She was actually nervous because she didn't know what Bobby had planned and she knew there were still some things to discuss. She made herself a promise, she was going to enjoy this evening, enjoy his company and enjoy the connection they had. She looked at herself in the mirror. She'd found a grey skirt that was slightly longer on the left side. The skirt had a light green flower embroidered on the right side along her right thigh. It wasn't a big flower, but it made the skirt look classy without it being to chic. She was wearing a nice fitting green shirt with an open neck that revealed a grey tank top under it.

Bobby was nervous. He wanted this to be perfect, Alex deserved that. They could act freely here, be their selves, enjoy each other's company and more importantly the change in their relationship. In New York they would have felt… watched. The importance of this date wasn't lost on him. They still had a lot to talk about. Elsie's words from that afternoon had left him with doubts. What if she felt only friendship for him? Not love. What if his own feelings were just friendship and not love? Sighing he decided not to think too far ahead. He had a date with a beautiful and very special woman.

Looking at his watch he grabbed his coat and took a deep breath. They would be all right… more than all right. Knocking on her door he waited impatiently to her.

"Hi." Standing in the doorway she greeted him with a smile. She liked his reaction, his eyes wide, looking her up and down. It was the reaction she'd been going for.

Recovering from his momentary lack of manners his eyes focused back on her. "Hi."

For a moment he was lost in her, her soft smile, her eyes and the way they always seemed to look right through him.

"Shall we, or do you want to stay in?"

His eyes went wide again, she was joking. It was what he needed to remind himself that this was her, there was no need to worry. "Tempting offer, but I made reservations at a nice restaurant." He offered her his arm and off they were.

At the restaurant – a nice little Italian restaurant- they were seated in a corner booth, the only light the two candles on their table. After their somewhat uncomfortable moment in the hotel, they were completely at easy with each other, laughing and joking around. Conversation flowed freely and easily. Both had avoided to talk about the real issue, but knew they would eventually talk about it.

"Who would have thought this conference would get this interesting?" Alex took a bite of her desert.

"I told you it could be interesting."

"I never quite understood why you didn't object more. We both don't like to go to conferences. What was so different about this one?"

He looked at his empty plate. He knew she hadn't been happy with him back then. She'd expected him to back her up and he hadn't.

Seeing the thoughts run through his head, she sighed. Why was he still so hesitant with her? What was it that still held him back?

"Bobby." She said, laying her hand on his. "Why do you keep doing this?" Entwining their fingers she continued. "What are you scared off? Do you think I won't like what I hear and I'm going to run off? Don't you know by now that I'm here to stay? What will it take for you to let me in?"

"I'm sorry… I don't want to hurt you."

"Why are you so convinced you're going to hurt me?" She waited patiently for him to explain. She knew he needed time to sort through his thoughts.

"I don't know if… I'm not sure you are going to like what I have to say."

"Try me." Pausing a moment to finish her desert, she asked again. "Why didn't you object?"

Letting go of her hand he toyed with the napkin. "I thought it would be nice to spend time with you."

She smiled even though he couldn't see it. "Now the world didn't end, did it?" She joked.

"Why do you keep doing that?" He finally looked at her.

"Do what?"

"Use humor when things get personal for you." This time it was Bobby who kept his eyes on her and it was Alex who looked away. Standing up, Bobby quietly sat down next to her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear he continued. "It goes both ways. I'm not going anywhere, Alex. You can let me in. Nothing's going to happen… I… I won't leave your life like your husband did. I intend to stay."

He had appeared again, Robert Goren – the profiler- reading her like no one else could. Humor and sarcasm had always been her way out when things got personal. She'd known a long time that her tactics didn't fool him. He'd never called her on them, until now that was.

It was her biggest fear, to be left alone again, grieving for another love lost. She wasn't going to let that happen again, that was a promise she'd made to herself a long time ago. That was before she met Robert Goren and before she started to realize she had feelings for him. At first she'd fought them hard, not wanting to give in. Eventually it was no use, he'd taken up a too big of a place in her heart. Still she had been careful, being vulnerable again, to open up and share her life again was going to be a big step. Was she ready to take it? Was she ready to share her life and heart again with a man?

Gradually the answers had come to her. Still there had been Bobby to take into account. She hadn't known how he felt. She had her suspicions, but she needed to be sure. During this conference she'd gotten his answer, he did have feelings for her. Now the only question left was if they were going to take the chance.

"I'm not the only one who's apprehensive. You try to hide it, try to reassure me, but you need reassurance too. It's okay, I'm not leaving." He softly kissed her temple and leaned forward to try to catch her eyes. He saw she was holding back tears. His comments hit home hard.

"I.." He wanted to apologize again, he didn't want to hurt her.

She didn't want to hear his apology again, not when he hadn't done anything wrong. "Don't apologize, you're right. I needed to hear that." Taking a deep breath she tried to control what his words had evoked in her. "Just give me a moment."

Putting his arm around her shoulder he pulled her body against his, hoping it would give her comfort. He signalled the waiter for the cheque.

They walked back from the restaurant to their hotel through a beautiful park. "Do you remember when we first met?" Alex asked him, taking his hand in hers.

"I do." He smiled.

"You were shocked, but tried to hide it."

"So were you."

"You weren't what I expected." She laughed.

"Neither were you. I had so many doubts, wondering how long you were going to stay. I didn't make things easy for you. I tried to chase you away, to avoid… everything again."

"I knew how much you wanted me to stay. I didn't know you well, but I saw it in your eyes." When she had first met him she'd seen a eccentric detective who held a certain doubt in his eyes. At first she thought he doubted her abilities. Soon she figured out he doubted the viability of their partnership.

"I never thought it would turn out like this." He said squeezing her hand.

"And what is _this_ exactly?" Alex decided it was time to really talk about it.

Stopping and turning her around towards him, he simply look at her. "This.." He started, tracing her jaw softly with his finger. "..is special to me. You are special to me."

She wanted to ask him something, but he silenced her with his fingers on her lips. Alex had told him to stop hiding, to let her in and it was time he did so. "I've thought about Elsie's words. Thought about partnership, friendship, relationship and love. I love my job and I love our partnership. I don't want to lose either. Friendship and love… Elsie got me thinking."

For a few seconds he was silent, trying to collect his thoughts. "We spend so much time together and we have such a close friendship. Am I reading too much into this? Am I confusing friendship for love? What if that's true? Maybe my feelings are mixed up?"

This wasn't what she'd expected. He was actually going to say it would be better not to act on their feelings. She really hadn't expected this. She wanted to turn away from him, not wanting to face him when he told her.

Seeing her turn away he quickly placed both hands on her shoulders. She felt tense and he realized how she'd interpreted his words. "I'm not… just listen to me. Hey… look at me." He said softly, lifting her head up with a finger under her chin. He saw the insecurity in her warm brown eyes. Wanting to erase her worries he wrapped her in her arms. "I know what I feel and I know it's not mere friendship. Day after day you created a place inside my heart that I hadn't discovered yet. But you're there and there's nowhere else I want you to be. I know what I feel and I know that it's real. What we have is real."

She felt his back muscles tense under her hands. These next words were going to be difficult on him. Her heart had skipped a beat when he said she had a place in his heart. She knew it wasn't easy for him to say this to her and she cherished his words.

"I… At first I wasn't sure what to do. I knew what I felt, but also knew the risk. The job, our partnership… but most of all my heart. Everybody I ever cared for or was important in my life has walked out on me. They all left… and it hurt… it still hurts."

Taking a deep breath he tried to control his emotions. "I considered the pain of losing you to the pain of having you in my life without telling you how much you meant to me. In the beginning the choice seemed easy. I wanted your friendship and our partnership in my life. I thought I could live without the need to take you in my arms and simply hold you, to wake up with you in my arms. For a while I could live without those things, but as time went by I realized my feelings for you were growing stronger and I wanted to more. I am convinced we can make it work. We can deal with our work. We'll be professional. Elsie's words, Alex… they didn't make me doubt, they made me see things clearer." Taking a small step back he took her hand in his and placed them on his heart. "Here is where you belong. In my arms is where I want you to be, Alex. I…I don't ever want you to leave."

"Come here." She whispered before she pulled him to her, brushing her lips over his several times, nipping, tasting and feeling before she deepened the kiss. Bobby's reaction was immediate, he wrapped her arms around her and pulled her body against his. Their tongues met passionately and sparks flew. Alex ended the kiss when the need for air got too much. Touching his lips she smiled at him and softly said. "I love you, Bobby."

"I… I love you too, Alex." Cupping her face in big hands he kissed her tenderly, conveying everything he felt at that moment.

TBC...


	11. All in

**A/N: Yes the lastchapter! It took some time again, but here it is. Major Fluff warning! I couldn't help myself, but can you blame me? It was the combination Bobby, Alex, bed, bath... I couldn't ignore the fluff. Stole one line from the Gilmore Girls because it seemed to fit perfectly with Bobby. The end of the chapter says The End, because this is the end. I believe the epilogue isn't part of the fic. The epilogue will hopefully be some time next week and will be short, so don't expect too much! Enjoy!**

**Part eleven**

Butterfly kisses on her shoulder and neck woke her up. She snuggled closer to the warm body spooned behind her.

Yesterday after their walk in the park they'd drank something with the others of their group in the bar of the hotel. After two drinks they had gone upstairs, wanting to be alone. In her hotel room they had talked about what they were going to do in New York. Both wanted to take things slow and enjoy every moment. Wanting to enjoy their last night and day at the conference, Alex had asked him to stay. She wanted to sleep in his arms. After some initial hesitation, Bobby had agreed.

Spending the night with him, sleeping in his arms, felt wonderful. He was like giant teddy bear warm, comforting and wonderful to cuddle with.

"Morning." Bobby greeted her with a kiss behind her ear.

Turning around she slowly slid against him. "Morning." She gave him a small teasing smile when she heard his groan.

"Don't tease." He growled, wrapping her in his strong arms.

It had been so long since he'd held a woman in his arms and she felt so right. She belonged with him. "Alex…?" His voice turned insecure.

"Mmmm…" She mumbled into his chest. It was so easy to fall back asleep again.

Running a hand through her hair, Bobby marvelled at her beauty. "You're beautiful." He was hesitant. He didn't know if he should talk about what was on his mind. Maybe it was too much too soon. On the other hand, he wanted her to know.

She'd slipped her hand under his shirt. Stroking his back she felt his muscles tense. Settling her hands on his waist, she slightly pulled back to try to look at him. She couldn't because his chin was on her head. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He murmured into her hair before he kissed her.

"Tell me." She said, placing her hands on his chest.

He put his head on her shoulder and remained silent.

"Bobby, look at me." Her voice was soft.

Kissing her neck he tried to pull her body closer, but she wouldn't let him.

"Hey," She whispered, cupping his cheek. "Look at me." She gently drew his face to her.

"I…I need you to know that this means a lot to me." He admitted.

"I know that. I means a lot to me too."

"No, that's not what I mean. I…" He gently traced her lips with his thumb. "I don't…, no, I… I can't take this lightly. I don't want to overwhelm you. We agreed to take things slowly."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't talk to me. You're no longer alone. You can share things with me. I want you to feel like you can tell me everything. What do I need to do to accomplish that? What do I need to do to get through to you?" Getting more quiet she whispered. "Why can't you trust me?" Pushing him away she turned on her back. She knew if she had turned her back to him he wouldn't open up.

Lying beside her he knew he had to tell her everything. Focusing on the patterns he was tracing on her upper arm he went for it. "I trust you, Alex. Like I said, we agreed to take things slowly. I don't want to pressure you. This isn't just a relationship to me. This is it, I feel it. I won't do this halfway. I'm all in, Alex. There's no going back for me. There's nothing to go back to for me. I'm going to give this…, us, my all. There has never been anyone come close as important as you are to me. There's no one whom I've loved this much. It can even overwhelm me, but I need you to know how important this…, you are. I just don't want to… I guess this shows how alone I've been, how pathetic I've become."

"You're a gently, loving and caring man. Don't ever call yourself pathetic." Her voice was strong with determination. She didn't like it when he doubted himself. His dedication to them, their relationship, was comforting to hear. This was a big step for her too. She knew that deep down his feelings were very strong and powerful and sometimes even frightening for him. Looking at him she saw his apprehension. Taking his hand in hers she placed them on her stomach.

"Just because I want to take things slowly doesn't mean this isn't important to me too. I'm all in too, Bobby. I plan on sharing my life and dreams with you."

He had released her hand and had started caressing her stomach. Her tank top had ridden up leaving a bit of skin exposed. His gentle caresses made her shiver and her skin tingle. It was clear that the man had a certain power over her. Her body reacted instantly to his touch.

Bobby had heard every word, but his eyes were focused on her stomach. Feeling her hand on his cheek his eyes settled on hers again. "Come here." She whispered before drawing him closer for a kiss.

Exploring each other's mouths and bodies, Alex pulled Bobby's body on top of her. Getting lost in each other for a moment it was Bobby who ended their passionate kiss.

"We really need to get up." He said, putting his weight on his elbows so he wouldn't crush her.

"I rather like it here, but if you insist." She said, smiling at him.

"Come on." Pushing himself off the bed he stood next to her and offered her his hand. In one pull he had her on her feet next to him.

"First I'm going to take a nice bath." Walking to the bathroom she wondered how long it would take for him to react.

"Ever since we've been here you've been telling me how great and how big that bath is. I think I need to investigate to see if that's true."

"Mmm… maybe you should. After all partners look out for each other. It's only right you'd want to investigate."

"Good idea, partner." Bobby agreed, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the bathroom.

It was late when they finally entered the restaurant for breakfast. The entire group was still seated at a large table. Bobby and Alex joined them with their plates full.

"You two look starved." Erica stared at their plates.

"Extensive exercise makes people hungry. Surely you know that, Erica." Amanda chimed in, smiling at the others.

"That must be quite an exercise judging by those plates." Roy couldn't resist teasing them.

"You're just jealous, Roy." Alex took a slice of fruit she had on her plate. Watching Bobby she saw him talking to Lucy.

"I guess everything is all right?" Lucy smiled at Bobby. There was no way those two could hide the smiles on their faces. She was happy for them.

"More than all right."

"Good, keep it that way."

"I intend to." Bobby said before he felt Alex's eyes on him. Winking at her he continued with his breakfast, enjoying the conversation around him. He decided they should go on conferences more often.

**The End...**


	12. Epilogue

**A/N: I decided to just finish it today. Like I said a short epilogue. There was no need to make things longer than necessary. This is it. I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing and reading. Never has a fic of mine been this popular. Thank you!**

**Epilogue**

Standing in their Captain's office Alex had a strange sense of déja-vu. It was only five days ago that they'd been standing here and Deakins had told them they were going to a conference. She was certain that a second time around she wouldn't object. Standing beside her was her partner and boyfriend. She almost had to smile at that. Bobby Goren was her boyfriend… somehow that didn't quite say it all.

"Did you two behave?" Deakins asked his best detectives. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was different.

"Of course, I don't know why you'd think otherwise." Alex answered.

Giving her a look he turned to Bobby. "Learn anything interesting?"

Looking at Alex, Bobby smiled. "You could say that."

Now he was sure, there was definitely something going on. "Fess up, what happened." Standing up he rounded his desk to lean against it. Crossing his arms over he gave his detectives his best glare. He wanted to know.

"Nothing happened! We're two grown ups. We can behave properly in company of others." Alex exclaimed. Deakins' glare didn't quite work on her.

"Fine. Was the conference any good? Should I send others to it?"

"Yeah it was good. I… I think sending others would be good. They gave us some interesting insights into partnerships." Bobby explained.

"Okay. Good to have you two back. Now finish your paperwork."

"Ooh Cap," Alex said as she turned at the doorway. "If there are any more interesting conferences we'd like to know."

Watching them take a seat at their desks, he was sure something had happened at that conference. Five days ago Alex had objected to going to a conference, now she was practically volunteering. This was no coincidence. Aah well, maybe it was better he didn't know.


End file.
